From Radio New Zealand today:
KiwiRail says it is now looking at buying second-hand ships for the Cook Strait ferry service, and is asking what to do about the terminals.
It has blamed poor project governance in part for cost escalations in its Interislander replacement Project Irex, sunk when the government balked in December at rising terminal rebuild costs.
Chief executive Peter Reidy told MPs at a select committee at Parliament there are only 22 second-hand ships worldwide that fit the bill – such as being rugged enough for the Strait – and none are for sale.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/509283/kiwirail-considers-buying-second-hand-ships-for-cook-strait-ferry-service
And from the New Zealand Herald also today:
KiwiRail has dragged up an old stoush over the location of its Cook Strait mega ferry terminal in Wellington to explain why project costs ballooned to almost $3 billion.
The Government has declined KiwiRail’s request for an extra $1.47 billion, scuppering the Inter-island Resilience Connection (iReX) project.
As KiwiRail bosses fronted a select committee today, they issued a stark warning that new infrastructure will be needed, regardless of the fate of iRex, because the wharf at Port Marlborough is at “a very end-of-life state”.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kiwirail-reveals-what-led-to-cook-strait-mega-ferry-cost-blowout/3BV5MBMRZFC4TCMJRPINE3K4AQ/
Imagine this was in Scotland? Which NZ government was responsible for ferries before – Labour. Which is now – National (Conservatives). Which party wants to re-join the British Empire for better ferries?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
“Scandal as NZ Government seeks to buy unavailable second-hand ferries and keep ‘very end-of-life’ wharf”…..
Yes it is a scandal ….but alas the media in Scotland promoting that would then diminish their politically partisan (non) argument and accusations that they , the BBC (and others ) love to constantly promote against the SNP…..and against Scotland too….via their combined (seemingly) specialist subject aka Ferries in Scotland.
As apparently, for some (BritNats), Scotland compared to other nations…. both here , there and everywhere are allegedly just a country that cannae get anything right compared to other nations in the world (seemingly)……with of course a strong compulsory reference to that being as a result of the real source as in (apparently) it being the sole fault of the SNP……. also known as Nationalists by their (many) opponents in BritNat land…….of course the truth is that, the SNP and Scotland, is constantly considered as fair game for criticism, a political punchbag for the Brits and basically are seen as always letting the ‘British’ side down…..and there was us thinking the Brits were doing a good job of that themselves……
The fact that the Brits have obsessed so much upon the regurgitated Ferries story (British instigated saga aka soap opera) does expose the fact that there seems to be very little else that they can FIND to incessantly criticise (obsess about) in respect to the Scottish government (though they, the media especially the BBC here, do give it their best shot)…..me thinks they doth protest (way) too much…..and we all know what that means…..that their excessive media coverage exposes the fact that their true purpose is purely political…..against the SNP…….and islanders are, via this matter, mere political pawns…..in fact for the BBC any poor soul is seen as useful if they have a tragic story to relate which the BBC can then attempt to convert as being another apparent BritNat constructed #SNPBAD story.
If only BBC Scotland News could pause for ONE moment and notice the mess in both England and Wales via their respective governments and too recognised that Scotland, as part of their UK, was also , like other nations within the UK , suffering under UK reserved powers……perhaps they then could get off their moral high Horse in respect to their current #SNPBAD and #ScotlandIsSh*te propaganda exercise…..and thus educate/inform more people (voters) in Scotland to the fact that the SNP are not THE worst government in the UK by any stretch of the BritNats imaginations and that actually #ScotlandIsGreat as a country(though tis very wounded and compromised as a result of still being a part of their UK)……
Thus the only REAL “Change” and only REAL “Fresh Start” for Scotland would and could only be with Scotland voting for Independence….simples (tis only the BritNats that try to make it appear as if it would be more complicated, seemingly impossible as a successful option and too seemingly a disaster for Scotland…..meanwhile look what we in Scotland are enduring as part of their UK…..hardly a winning argument for them is it?)
NMRN
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